No Compensation For Crimean Energy Blockade

A year after the energy blockade, Crimea has seen no signs of compensation for the damages suffered and neither does it expect any, according to Crimea’s head, Sergei Aksyonov.

“We have serious doubts that we will ever get compensation from the current government… I have no doubt that it will be overthrown, as it does not meet Ukraine’s interests,” TASS reported Aksyonov as saying.

Although the damages are still being legally assessed, Aksyonov is certain that they will be locked in litigation with Ukrainian authorities for a long time to come.

“The legal department together with the prosecutor’s office are counting the damage, I am unaware of details, this is not a goal in itself. We will be locked in litigations with Ukraine for another one hundred years,” Aksyonov said.

In 2014, Russia established control over the Crimean peninsula, following a referendum in the area during the Ukrainian revolution that year, when the people voted to be federal subjects of Russia. However, the referendum, along with the Russian control is viewed as illegal by Ukraine, members of the European Union, the USA and Canada. Since then, there has been a spate of hostilities between Russia and Ukraine, which refuses to acknowledge the annexation.

An unsuccessful food blockade was launched by activists in 2014 that was supposedly backed by Kiev. The following year, power lines supplying electricity to the region via Ukraine were blown up, causing a blackout in Crimea. However, Ukrainian authorities denied any responsibility for the explosions.

The blockade resulted in the building of the Energy Bridge across the Kerch Strait that separates Crimea from the Russian mainland. It was completed in May earlier this year, with the laying down of the fourth and final power line. The bridge is said to be enough to satisfy Crimea’s energy requirements.

Currently, another Moscow-backed project is underway to construct a 19-km road and rail bridge across the strait, further connecting the Crimean peninsula to Russia. It is scheduled to be completed in 2019.